Helping a Stranger
by Kristen3
Summary: During a typical afternoon of running errands, Daphne has a fateful encounter in a shopping center parking lot. One-shot.


**Author's Note: **This is just a little something that came to me after a real-life experience. :)

Daphne let out a frustrated sigh as she pulled into the parking lot. It was a madhouse. The shopping center was incredibly crowded. What made Daphne even angrier was the fact that she'd come here now, on a weekday afternoon, expecting the exact opposite. She glanced at the clock her dashboard and realized it was hopeless; she had only a short time to get what she needed before she had to be at David's school to pick him up. Just as she was debating turning around, she saw a young woman come out of the baby store, pushing a stroller. With a silent prayer of thanks, Daphne began slowly following the woman, stalking her to her parking space. Luckily, it was not far away. Her prayers had been answered.

But the joy was short-lived. Apparently, this woman was planning to take as long as possible to vacate her parking spot. First the baby had to be removed from the stroller and carefully placed into his carseat. As a mom herself, Daphne struggled to maintain her patience. She understood completely the need to ensure a child's safety in the car. However, she also knew that, if this lasted much longer, she might not be able to pick up the groceries she needed before she had to be at David's school. Finally, the baby was secured. Next came the task of placing the stroller into the trunk of the car. That, too, seemed to be rather time-consuming. "Just put the bloody stroller away and _move_!" Daphne muttered to herself. Although the job seemed simple enough, this woman was having a great deal of difficulty. For some reason, the trunk was not closing properly. Daphne watched in horror as the woman removed the stroller, still opened, from the trunk. What could possibly be so difficult about folding the stroller so it would fit?

Daphne checked that she was not blocking other drivers' way, and reluctantly put the car into park. Then she got out and approached the poor, helpless young mother. "Do you need some help?" Daphne tried her best not to let her frustration show in her voice.

The woman looked up and smiled. "I'm so sorry about this. I know you're waiting for me to leave. But this stupid stroller doesn't want to fold up."

"I'm a mum meself, and although I haven't used one of these things in years, maybe I can try it."

"Feel free!" The woman gestured to the stubborn stroller. Daphne bent down and pushed as hard as she could on the back end of it. Instantly, the stroller folded to half its former size.

"Wow, thank you so much!" The woman breathed a relieved sigh. "I've been having a kind of a rough day. I didn't really mean to get pregnant, it just sort of happened. And my boyfriend disappeared right after I found out. I've been doing all of this on my own, and...Oh, my God, you really didn't need to know any of that, did you?"

Daphne smiled, suddenly feeling sympathy for this stranger. "It's all right. Me best friend, Roz, is a single mum, and I've seen what she deals with. I don't know how she does it."

"Yeah, it's not easy. I just feel so alone, you know?"

"Well, maybe it would help if you had someone to talk to. Me husband's a psychiatrist. Not that I'm saying you need a therapist,of course. If you'll give me your number, I could speak to Roz. I'm sure she'd be happy to help you."

"Wow, you'd really be willing to help me? A perfect stranger? You must be an angel or something!"

Daphne smiled, thinking of Niles' compliments. "Not really. I just know what it's like to need help. Me name's Daphne, by the way."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Emma." The two women shook hands. They spoke for a few more minutes, realizing that they had quite a bit in common. Daphne soon forgot all about the things she needed to buy, and she almost lost track of time to the point of forgetting about David. When she finally did leave, Daphne knew without a doubt that fate had sent her to that shopping center.

Later, when David was sound asleep, Daphne recounted the incident to Niles as they lay in bed. "You should've seen this poor woman, Niles. All alone, with a baby to care for. It just broke me heart. I know Roz's life isn't easy, but she was actually lucky. At least she's got friends to help her."

Niles smiled, having a pretty good idea where this story was headed. "You're going to help her out, aren't you?"

Daphne nodded. "I'm going to give Roz a call in the morning. I think Emma could use a friend who's been in her shoes."

Once again, Niles smiled, leaning forward to kiss his wife. "One of the things I love most about you is the way you care for others. From the moment I met you, I knew you were special."

Immediately, Daphne blushed, recalling for the thousandth time when she'd first met her future husband. Niles always made the story sound beautiful and romantic. But Daphne remembered it differently. She had been awkward and shy, still adjusting to her new surroundings. But none of that mattered now, because Daphne saw such love in her husband's eyes. No matter what flaws Daphne saw in herself, Niles always saw beyond all of them. Despite the wonderful, fairytale life she now had with her family, Daphne's years of struggle were always with her. That was why she did all she could to help others. At the end of each day, she always made sure to give thanks for all the wonderful things in her life. But most of all, she was thankful for Niles, because he made everything else possible.

**The End**


End file.
